5 Songs That Mention Iowa

Iowa is a great state. While I've only been here for a short amount of time; I've seen enough of Iowa to know that it is a wild and wonderful place to live. As long as you forget about those Iowa winters. I think it's a good enough state to have songs written about it, and apparently it has!

I went deep diving for songs that were either written about Iowa or mention Iowa in the lyrics. Here are a few of the most unexpected ones that I found.

1. Stranded - Manfred Mann's Earth Bend

Is this the theme music for winters in Iowa? Because it seems so to me.

Stranded in Iowa
Stranded in Iowa
Better get the Breakdown squad out
Get me rolling on

These lyrics are just what Iowans shout when they get snuck in the middle of a blizzard or a snow squall.

2. I've Been Everywhere - Johnny Cash

Cash really has been everywhere! Everywhere apparently includes a bunch of random cities in the Midwest, and a whole lot of places in Iowa.

I've been to:
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado,
Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado,
Larimore, Atmore, Haverstraw, Chatanika,
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika,
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City,
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.

Johnny Cash mentions Iowa cities Waterloo and Sioux City! Is that not crazy? He mentions them in the very last verse and then says "what a pity!" So, I don't know if THAT mention is necessarily a good thing...

3. The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines - Joni Mitchell

Is there a dry cleaner in Des Moines, Iowa that has ever been to Vegas and played poker with Joni Mitchell? Going once...

But the cleaner from Des Moines
Could put a coin
In the door of a John
And get twenty for one
It's just luck!

Dang...I need to find a dry cleaner from Des Moines with this type of luck.

4. Birth of Serpents - The Mountain Goats

Iowa gets a small shout out in this Mountain Goats song. Just like some of the previous songs on this list Iowa only gets a small mention at the very end of the song.

From the California coastline to the Iowa corn
To the rooms with the heat lamps where the snakes get born.

It's actually more like Iowa corn is the star of this song, but at least we get a mention!

5. Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson

So many different artists have covered this song over the years from Led Zeppelin to Tracy Chapman. This song is typically a Chicago anthem, but there is a brief mention of Des Moines, Iowa.